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so last summer there were plenty of cases of neglect where the father intentionally killed his kid in a car, mother goes to work while kids in car, gambles, drinks etc while kids are the car.
the article linked above take the view of what if the adult is not an A-hole and just a rational adult of sound mind parent.
there have been a few times now in the 13 months i've been a father that i have wanted to leave my (usually sleeping) child in the car for 5-10 minutes while i run into a post office, bank, dunkin doughnuts, etc. All these times the weather was below 70 and the car could be left running or not and i would have allowed my child to rest and gotten my task done faster than taking the car seat out and the stroller and diaper bag, etc.
I was confident that my child would be in no harm during the time but the only thing that prevents me from doing that is the overly cautious, i want to be in everyones business, stranger wannabe hero that may pass by for those few minutes and assume a monster is trying to kill their kid.
the **** storm of problems that i have read about when cops and CPS get involved for honest well intentioned parents caught in a ridiculous legal battle because of a stranger have kept me afraid of doing this.
i love my kid and would never put her in harms way but sometimes one can use a break and if everyone (parent and child) is better off in the 5-10 minute safe scenario it would be nice to know i have that option without fear of legal battles.
i'd like to see everyone else views on this. state if you are a parent or not for perspective.
I know what you mean about the overly cautious, want to be in everyone's business types, but I would have a problem with doing that with an infant or small child because what if something happened to you while you were running your 5-10 minute errand. It is probably a remote possibility, but what if you got hit by a car or bicycle crossing the street, hit your head and could not communicate? Your daughter would then be in the car far longer than the 5-10 minutes and could be in danger.
I know what you mean about the overly cautious, want to be in everyone's business types, but I would have a problem with doing that with an infant or small child because what if something happened to you while you were running your 5-10 minute errand. It is probably a remote possibility, but what if you got hit by a car or bicycle crossing the street, hit your head and could not communicate? Your daughter would then be in the car far longer than the 5-10 minutes and could be in danger.
If the OP got hit by a car, I'm not sure the baby would really have been better off in his/her arms.
Two of the three things you mention have drive thrus that I use for this very reason. The Post Office? Even when I'm the only one in line that's not five minutes.
Look, it sucks, being a parent means you don't have time anyway and they finally fell asleep after thirty minutes of driving around and you just want to get some stuff done. I get it, I really do. I don't agree with it a lot of the time, especially in spaces where you can maintain eye contact with your kid. They do make car seat systems where you can take the car seat out and drop it into a stroller, that's a solution. Or you can hope they're in a deep enough sleep to get your thing done
But the deal is that you just don't do it for the same reason you put those stupid plastic covers on the outlets and foam corners on the coffee table. The reward isn't worth the risk. If something goes wrong and your kid ends up hurt because you wanted some coffee I'm willing to bet you won't see Dunkin Donuts the same anymore.
I noticed he said 'take the car seat out', so it sounds like the kid is still in an infant car seat. If that's the case, then what you're trying to avoid is pretty much a piece of cake compared to the rest of your life! My kid would usually stay asleep if I was just snapping the car seat into the stroller. Then I could just roll around and do whatever I wanted.
Enjoy this while you can, and no, don't leave the kid in the car. If you're taking care of the kid then the kid is priority over errands. Have someone else watch the kid when you actually need to get something done.
If the OP got hit by a car, I'm not sure the baby would really have been better off in his/her arms.
That is a very strong statement for the OP. Not sure he/she deserves it. He/she may very well love his child as much as you love our children, just has a different perspective on a few aspects. We are of course very sensitive to issues related to child welfare but we must also be aware that there are cultural & geographical differences. Not all countries in the world have rules on having an adult supervise a minor. And if I may say, unfortunately there are some parents whose presence is far detrimental to the child than their absence. So let us not be very judgemental to the OP.
That is a very strong statement for the OP. Not sure he/she deserves it. He/she may very well love his child as much as you love our children, just has a different perspective on a few aspects. We are of course very sensitive to issues related to child welfare but we must also be aware that there are cultural & geographical differences. Not all countries in the world have rules on having an adult supervise a minor. And if I may say, unfortunately there are some parents whose presence is far detrimental to the child than their absence. So let us not be very judgemental to the OP.
I think he was saying that if the OP randomly got hit by a truck while the baby was in the car, it would be a good thing since the baby therefore wouldn't be involved in the accident.
Idk how old your kids are, but let me assure you---
Sh*t happens, & the last thing you want to do is feel regret....
Your job as a parent is to protect your kids 24/7.
Guess what?
It's not always convenient.
It's not always easy......
Leaving them in the car is just pure laziness.
And I raised my kids on my own, btw.
No family to help, babysit or anything else.
It was all me....
Constantly on guard.
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